Wednesday 18th February 2015

All-new Audi R8 - ridealong

The inevitable prototype passenger ride, enlivened in this instance by former N24 winner Frank Stippler

---

Playing the ridealong game is something to be approached with reluctance if your brief is to contrive some sort of definitive judgement from time spent as human ballast. So we'll assess the second-gen R8 on its abilities when we get behind the wheel. And, for now, use obligatory time in the passenger seat as a chance to chat with one of the men behind it.

Stippler; racer turned development driver

Race car drivers, despite their healthy, suntanned appearance are complete psychopaths. Another reason why passenger rides are always a bad idea. If they smell fear, expect a blood bath. If they smell cockiness, expect a blood bath.

Climbing into the R8 I pull my seatbelt tight and prepare myself for the worst. I'm not disappointed. The starting procedure goes like this. Frank Stippler folds himself into the cabin but before buttocks bite Nappa leather he's somehow buckled in, stabbed the starter, engaged 'D' and employed a devastating size eleven/throttle pedal interface. Without any wheelspin my brain ticks off the 3.2-second 0-62mph claim as legit.

The pit exit is a steep climb to a blind summit before a plunge to the first corner. Internally I am already deeply troubled.

I've always thought of Ascari Race Resort as the perfect place to have a life-changing accident. The circuit was originally created for one fearless man to drive his collection of F1 cars, presumably badly, in the most terrifying environment possible. That explains the circuit's proximity to trees, boulders, rocks and, I kid you not, a huge crater. Immortality on WreckedExotics awaits. Except, of course, we don't crash.

Stippler not shy of a bit of showboating

Four corners in and my brain has finally rebooted and Frank and I trust one another. He trusts me not to introduce him to the bile-laced contents of my stomach. And I trust his complete talent of maintaining exactly ten tenths in the new R8.

I finally can concentrate on the car.

Brakes and gearshifts make the biggest impact, next is how hard Herr Stippler is leaning on those front Michelins - and how well they're coping, gripping even in the slow stuff. It's impressive. The soundtrack too, is immense. Stippler, meanwhile, is acting like he's on a qualifier with absolutely no showboating. He's clean, determined and on the very limit. Still no sign of understeer - something the old R8 used to introduce to its dynamic repertoire as an alarm bell to pick up the throttle to neutralise it. Or, if you were braver/more talented, drift gracefully out.

Stippler, meanwhile, continues to drive flawlessly. "Traction is terrific!" He barks, as he gives second everything.

Asking him if he missed 'his' R8 LMS on days like this he gives me a knowing look, perhaps a nod. So what does all his racing experience in the R8 LMS bring to the road car, I ask.

Requested progressive breakaway - delivered

"Three things I campaigned for with the Audi R8 was reducing the understeer on turn-in. The next was adding a quicker steering rack and the third was making the R8 very progressive at high speed breakaway. Now, with the quicker steering it's so much easier to correct any slide when it happens."

Lap two, if anything, is even quicker, by now I'm in full flow. Seeing if I can provoke the slightest mistake. I ask him if he'll miss having a manual - he says 'yes' but averts a PR FUBAR by saying 500hp, plus an engine like this that builds revs this quickly would challenge even his talents as a racer.

I even ask him about the Honda NSX - a car he used to race. Apparently a wonderful machine but one ruined by Honda's refusal to turbocharge it, leaving it hopelessly outgunned. Then it happens. It finally happens. The R8's nose misses an apex, then the next. Even more amusing there's a correction, then another one, with something approaching almost a miniature drift.

"The tyres, it's the tyres, they're too hot." Sounds like excuses, but Stippler quickly scrolls through the dash and, sure enough, the fronts' pressures are well over.

As the pace is wound back to take the R8 back for its next victim Ascari's splendour overwhelms once again. "Ascari is perhaps the most beautiful track..." says Stippler. Before quickly correcting himself. "After the Nurburgring, of course."

Sources: Frank Stippler's homepage

[Portrait: LAT Photo]

 

 

[GTEYE]

What's going on, another R8 article?

Are PH getting backhanders from Audi's marketing department??

[El Guapo]

There's a new model coming out. Some people might like to read about it

[Dave Hedgehog]

GTEYE said:

What's going on, another R8 article?

Are PH getting backhanders from Audi's marketing department??

audi marketing has twigged there is this think called the interweb and now drip feeding tweet sized PR snippets

[iMiM]

VAG is allover the internet these days. It's deceiving same as their soft touch plastics. Nothing wrong with R8 though.

[The Wookie]

Frank Stippler said:

Three things I campaigned for with the Audi R8 was reducing the understeer on turn-in. The next was adding a quicker steering rack and the third was making the R8 very progressive at high speed breakaway.

As a racing driver (although not to Mr.Stippler's level I should point out) and some time dynamics engineer I love these little snippets.

An army of dynamics engineers, most of whom will be very talented drivers, spend months if not years finely honing the spring rates, damper valving and software, the bushing, engine mounts, kinematics and static geometry of each iteration of prototype up to the production model. All this to achieve the delicate balance between ride, response, control feedback and limit handling. All probably to sit within the targets set by the marketing department for better or worse....

Before all this starts, a racer is asked what he thought of the old car and he says 'it's a bit understeery on turn in and a bit snappy at high speed... oh and the steering's a bit slow which can make it hard to catch'. Several months later he has a go in a late experimental prototype on a track and says 'Yeah that's better'. Several months after that he's driving a pre-production prototype on a media promo day taking all the credit.

Typical racing driver

[Burnham]

I know the side blades were the R*'s signature design feature, but I certainly wont miss them. The R* Convertible always looked so much better for not having them, and this new model too!

[PGNCerbera]

iMiM said:

VAG is allover the internet these days. It's deceiving same as their soft touch plastics

Riiiiigggghhhhhhhtttttttt

[ensignia]

iMiM said:

VAG is allover the internet these days.

I think VAG was one of the first things on the Internet

[kambites]

Shame about the death of the manual gearbox but I guess it was inevitable. I'm pleasantly surprised they've resisted the urge to go turbocharged.

[Kawasicki]

The Wookie said:

Frank Stippler said:

Three things I campaigned for with the Audi R8 was reducing the understeer on turn-in. The next was adding a quicker steering rack and the third was making the R8 very progressive at high speed breakaway.

As a racing driver (although not to Mr.Stippler's level I should point out) and some time dynamics engineer I love these little snippets.

An army of dynamics engineers, most of whom will be very talented drivers, spend months if not years finely honing the spring rates, damper valving and software, the bushing, engine mounts, kinematics and static geometry of each iteration of prototype up to the production model. All this to achieve the delicate balance between ride, response, control feedback and limit handling. All probably to sit within the targets set by the marketing department for better or worse....

Before all this starts, a racer is asked what he thought of the old car and he says 'it's a bit understeery on turn in and a bit snappy at high speed... oh and the steering's a bit slow which can make it hard to catch'. Several months later he has a go in a late experimental prototype on a track and says 'Yeah that's better'. Several months after that he's driving a pre-production prototype on a media promo day taking all the credit.

Typical racing driver

...some bosses (usually the ones who can't drive) need to hear it from a Racing Driver before it's a real concern.

What's funny is when the racing driver is slower than the nerdy engineer.

[Dakkon]

El Guapo said:

There's a new model coming out. Some people might like to read about it

I want to read about it

Crumbs a car site that posts articles about cars, how dare they

[pagani1]

For the sensible amongst us a second hand R8 looks ok. I am also pleased the will.i.am. sideblades are gone they were so moneysupermarket, so to speak. Hopefully the new model will depress values on the older car, so apart from having to respray the blade to body colour brings the car into "keeper" rating.

[JD]

GTEYE said:

What's going on, another R8 article?

Are PH getting backhanders from Audi's marketing department??

With all of these and the endless articles about SEAT's nobody cares about, one could become suspicious.....

[Terminator X]

"If they smell fear, expect a blood bath. If they smell cockiness, expect a blood bath."

fking awesome

TX.

[Cyder]

I had to check I wasn't reading a Troy Queef article on Sniff Petrol.

[Funk]

Burnham said:

I know the side blades were the R*'s signature design feature, but I certainly wont miss them. The R* Convertible always looked so much better for not having them, and this new model too!

They were only there to break up an awkwardly-long body panel, I grew to like them in the end. Certainly distinctive.

[shoestring7]

Kawasicki said:

The Wookie said:

Frank Stippler said:

Three things I campaigned for with the Audi R8 was reducing the understeer on turn-in. The next was adding a quicker steering rack and the third was making the R8 very progressive at high speed breakaway.

As a racing driver (although not to Mr.Stippler's level I should point out) and some time dynamics engineer I love these little snippets.

An army of dynamics engineers, most of whom will be very talented drivers, spend months if not years finely honing the spring rates, damper valving and software, the bushing, engine mounts, kinematics and static geometry of each iteration of prototype up to the production model. All this to achieve the delicate balance between ride, response, control feedback and limit handling. All probably to sit within the targets set by the marketing department for better or worse....

Before all this starts, a racer is asked what he thought of the old car and he says 'it's a bit understeery on turn in and a bit snappy at high speed... oh and the steering's a bit slow which can make it hard to catch'. Several months later he has a go in a late experimental prototype on a track and says 'Yeah that's better'. Several months after that he's driving a pre-production prototype on a media promo day taking all the credit.

Typical racing driver

...some bosses (usually the ones who can't drive) need to hear it from a Racing Driver before it's a real concern.

What's funny is when the racing driver is slower than the nerdy engineer.

Got me. Who are these 'nerdy engineers' who are faster than professional contracted racing drivers?

SS7

[Kawasicki]

shoestring7 said:

Got me. Who are these 'nerdy engineers' who are faster than professional contracted racing drivers?

SS7

They're nobodies, that's the whole point. As I'm sure you know being fast in a car is a combination of factors, lap times don't respect fame or reputations.

I'm not knocking racing drivers, being fast in terms of lap time is only one part of what is required to become a true paid professional driver. I have huge respect for those that have "made it", indeed also for those who haven't. I'm having a go at the marketing departments who think that a famous racing driver will be guaranteed to be quicker than an engineer with gigantic specific experience.

[Debaser]

shoestring7 said:

Kawasicki said:

The Wookie said:

Frank Stippler said:

Three things I campaigned for with the Audi R8 was reducing the understeer on turn-in. The next was adding a quicker steering rack and the third was making the R8 very progressive at high speed breakaway.

As a racing driver (although not to Mr.Stippler's level I should point out) and some time dynamics engineer I love these little snippets.

An army of dynamics engineers, most of whom will be very talented drivers, spend months if not years finely honing the spring rates, damper valving and software, the bushing, engine mounts, kinematics and static geometry of each iteration of prototype up to the production model. All this to achieve the delicate balance between ride, response, control feedback and limit handling. All probably to sit within the targets set by the marketing department for better or worse....

Before all this starts, a racer is asked what he thought of the old car and he says 'it's a bit understeery on turn in and a bit snappy at high speed... oh and the steering's a bit slow which can make it hard to catch'. Several months later he has a go in a late experimental prototype on a track and says 'Yeah that's better'. Several months after that he's driving a pre-production prototype on a media promo day taking all the credit.

Typical racing driver

...some bosses (usually the ones who can't drive) need to hear it from a Racing Driver before it's a real concern.

What's funny is when the racing driver is slower than the nerdy engineer.

Got me. Who are these 'nerdy engineers' who are faster than professional contracted racing drivers?

SS7

It's not uncommon for an engineer to be faster than a professional racing driver in a car they have spent years developing.

[rsox87]

Club motorsport grids contain huge numbers of development engineers "keeping themselves sharp" - in particular, JLR employees that normally work at the 'Ring and Arjeplog throwing XJRs around have dominated the various Caterham series for years.